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engpunk77 's review for:
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
by E. Lockhart
What incredibly engaging writing! This book took me 9 days to read (which is long for a book I loved), but not because it didn't captivate me. I paused and ruminated, paused to smile and shake my head, paused to process new and interesting concepts. I only think I'd have found it a 5-star book, however, if I were a WASP and therefore found this commentary on the privileged more relevant to my life.
The protagonist was sharp, clever, and an all-around hero to girls of any social status, but she was not perfect. She was as lame as most girls in love, so even though she had the intellectual ability to see that she didn't need her boyfriend, and you wanted her to intellectually squash the smile off his face, she was still subject to twitterpation, which I appreciated. She wasn't Catniss, whose awesomeness even pervaded her love life (which made her seem even more inimitable. Frankie was not immune to the pointless and stupid draw that dressing up and being some idiot's "girl" has on teenage girls, even though she's immensely more intelligent than this reader.
Spoiler Alert
So I was thrilled to find that her coming of age, in addition to understanding more about the world of privilege and the underlying sexism in our society, she realized "It is better to be alone...than to be with someone who can't see who you are. It is better to lead than to follow. It is better to speak up than stay silent. It is better to open doors than to shut them on people." Hallelujah. I want to have a framed picture of young Frankie Landau-Banks in my bedroom with this quote underneath as a constant reminder of what we all know to be true. If only I could truly learn this for myself (I know it to be true but don't always live it...how about you?)
end of Spoiler
P.S. Lockhart ends the book with a note about her inspiration for writing the book, how and what she researched, what's true and what was creative license, and gives a glimpse into the life of a writer in the process of writing a masterpiece like this (moments that are less-than-brilliant). I deeply appreciate her sharing this....I wish all (at least YA) authors took the time to reveal these mysteries. At the very least, it will encourage readers to write.
P.P.S I recommend this to female high school students who are proficient readers, particularly those who are into English.
The protagonist was sharp, clever, and an all-around hero to girls of any social status, but she was not perfect. She was as lame as most girls in love, so even though she had the intellectual ability to see that she didn't need her boyfriend, and you wanted her to intellectually squash the smile off his face, she was still subject to twitterpation, which I appreciated. She wasn't Catniss, whose awesomeness even pervaded her love life (which made her seem even more inimitable. Frankie was not immune to the pointless and stupid draw that dressing up and being some idiot's "girl" has on teenage girls, even though she's immensely more intelligent than this reader.
Spoiler Alert
So I was thrilled to find that her coming of age, in addition to understanding more about the world of privilege and the underlying sexism in our society, she realized "It is better to be alone...than to be with someone who can't see who you are. It is better to lead than to follow. It is better to speak up than stay silent. It is better to open doors than to shut them on people." Hallelujah. I want to have a framed picture of young Frankie Landau-Banks in my bedroom with this quote underneath as a constant reminder of what we all know to be true. If only I could truly learn this for myself (I know it to be true but don't always live it...how about you?)
end of Spoiler
P.S. Lockhart ends the book with a note about her inspiration for writing the book, how and what she researched, what's true and what was creative license, and gives a glimpse into the life of a writer in the process of writing a masterpiece like this (moments that are less-than-brilliant). I deeply appreciate her sharing this....I wish all (at least YA) authors took the time to reveal these mysteries. At the very least, it will encourage readers to write.
P.P.S I recommend this to female high school students who are proficient readers, particularly those who are into English.